Twenty-eight finalists will compete for 2018's Top Corporate Counsel Awards by the Tampa Bay Business Journal.

These awards are meant to recognize in-house counsel who are leaders in their companies, organizations or industries, and exhibit high ethical standards.

Get to know the Top Corporate Counsel finalists in the private company with less than 1,000 employees category.

Tyler Cathey, COO and general counsel, Franklin StreetTime with company: Two years

What are your areas of specialty or discipline? Corporate law, business litigation and complex commercial litigation. I have previously served in government and state law as principal adviser to Florida Attorney General on all legal and administrative matters, where I oversaw several agency divisions.

Cathey's position as chief operating officer and general counsel was nonexistent prior to his on-boarding at Franklin Street. He was presented with the challenging opportunity to create the role and define how it can benefit the company. One of his most significant and immediate accomplishments was securing the trust of the CEO, which allowed him to take on many fundamental responsibilities within the firm, while allowing him to most effectively use his skill set and leadership to bring value to the company. Having recently been recognized by Franklin Street with the 2017 Biggest Impact award is a testament to his ability to leverage this new position and to make an impact across the firm.

The single most significant legal matter Cathey has tackled was Franklin Street's first formal capital raise, which happened just a few months after he joined the firm. The process covered the area of law he had the least experience with. He was able to secure counsel and used the opportunity to ask a lot of questions and expand his own breadth of knowledge. This process resulted in a quick, easy closing on the capital raise.